NA TURAL HISTOR Y OF SELBORNE. 147 



LETTER XII 



TO THE SAME. 



March gth, 1772. 



DEAR SIR, As a gentleman and myself were walking on the 

 fourth of last November round the sea-banks at Newhaven, near 

 the mouth of the Lewes river, in pursuit of natural knowledge, we 

 were surprised to see three house- swallows gliding very swiftly by 

 us. That morning was rather chilly, with the wind at north-west ; 

 but the tenor of the weather for some time before had been delicate, 

 and the noons remarkably warm. From this incident, and from 

 repeated accounts which I meet with, I am more and more induced 

 to believe that many of the swallow kind do not depart from this 

 island, but lay themselves up in holes and caverns ; and do, insect- 

 like and bat-like, come forth at mild times, and then retire again to 

 their latebra. Nor make I the least doubt but that, if I lived at 

 Newhaven, Seaford, Brighthelmstone, or any of those towns near 

 the chalk cliffs of the Sussex coast, by proper observations I 

 should see swallows stirring at periods of the winter when the 

 noons were soft and inviting, and the sun warm and invigorating. 

 And I am the more of this opinion from what I have remarked 

 during some of our late springs, that though some swallows did 

 make their appearance about the usual time, viz., the thirteenth or 

 fourteenth of April, yet meeting with an harsh reception, and 

 blustering cold north-east winds, they immediately withdrew, 

 absconding for several days, till the weather gave them better 

 encouragement. 



